December 2018 by Lazy Faire

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Alberta School of Business

STUDENT SPOTLIGHT Josh PUSZKA

December 18’ Philanthropy: The gift of giving

T H O U G H T V S T H O U G H T >>

E X T E R N A L R E L AT I O N S >>

M I S C E L L A N E O U S >>

Giving aid to third world countries: does it really help them?

Meet Madi Corry, Programs Manager at the Food Bank.

Tag yourself meme: Santa’s Reindeer Edition.

Represent a Fortune 500 Company Hiring new grads for sales executive positions in over 70 locations across Canada. Build your career with us. CONTACT Diana.Wyley@xerox.com www.findyourxfactor.com www.xerox.ca

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Table of Contents

CONTENTS SOCIAL STUDIES Commercialization of Christmas FASHION Fashion Companies that Give Profits Back to Charity FYI Volunteer Opportunities on Campus THOUGHT VS. THOUGHT Giving Aid to Third World Countries - Does it Really Help Them? STUDENT SPOTLIGHT Josh Puszka EXTERNAL RELATIONS Meet Madi Corry, Programs Manager at the Food Bank. CLUBS CORNER Rotaract Club GUEST ARTICLE UASU Farmers’ Market LF REVIEWS Best Secret Santa Gifts -15 under $20 LAZY CHAT APIRG

BSA Wellness Initiative: Samantha Grover & Emilie Richards Tag Yourself Meme: Santa’s Reindeer Edition

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Editor’s Note

t’s December and we all know what that means... THE HOLIDAY SEASON! It also means being with family, good food, finals (ugh), a well-deserved break, finals (yup), and gifts! But let’s be positive and just remember what’s at the end of the month after all the studying. We all like receiving gifts, but here at Lazy Faire we’d like to give you (pun intended) this month’s issue of celebrating the Gift of Giving! Our issue features topics such as volunteer opportunities, companies that are renowned for philanthropy, and gift ideas. Another thing, dear reader, that we’d like to give to you this month is a sincere good luck for finals! Enjoy this month’s issue and have a Happy Holidays from the Lazy Faire Magazine team! Read on!

Rodvie Barnachea

RODVIE BARNACHEA Editor-in-Chief

Haya Masri

HAYA MASRI Editor-in-Chief

CONTRIBUTORS

VALERIE LEOW VP Editorial

DYLAN WEE Photographer

DENISE NGUYEN Writer

JOANNA FADDOUL VP Art & Design

KATIE FITZGERALD VP Editorial

AUSTIN YEE Photographer

TYLER KEFFER Writer

SHANNON WONG Designer

ELIZABETH JUN VP Marketing

DIANE JEON Photographer & Writer

CLEO WILLIAMS Writer

MELANIA ANTOSZKO Designer

ERICA WEE Social Media Director

ERICA HU Photographer

RACHITA CHUGH Writer

LEIRE DOMENECH Designer

WYATT LYNDS Writer

ALYSSA RICIOPPO Designer

ALEX HO Suits LF Director & Photographer

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DENISE NGUYEN Writer

1. Describe yourself in five words. “I’m more than five words.” 2. What’s your favourite hobby? Keeping up with celebrity drama! 3. Best study spot on campus? Rutherford South library 4. What’s your favourite movie quote? “You are alive, and you stand up and see the lights on the buildings and everything that makes you wonder. And you’re listening to that song and that drive with the people you love most in this world. And in this moment I swear, we are infinite.” 5. Why did you join Lazy Faire? I love writing an d storytelling! I’d love to get more involved with the Business Faculty by telling the stories of others. Plus, I already knew that the team would be amazing.

VALERIE LEOW VP Editorial

1. Describe yourself in five words. Passionate, imaginative, meticulous, persistent, and a dreamer. 2. What’s your favourite hobby? Creating art and telling stories - writing, digital art, mixed media art, playing instruments, singing, acting. 3. Best study spot on campus? Very much prefer studying at home, but if I had to pick a spot to study on campus, it’d be the Health Sciences Library. 4. What’s your favourite movie quote? “Do or do not. There is no try.” Yoda; Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back 5. Why did you join Lazy Faire. To expand my exposure to, and ability to write for, different genres and media types. And to share my love of writing with others.

Meet the Team

ALEX HO Suits LF Director & Photographer

1. Describe yourself in five words. Wishing there’s 34 hours in a day (and “can’t count”) 2. What’s your favourite hobby? I like to look at cars, clothes, and boots I can never afford. I guess I like taking pictures too. 3. Best study spot on campus? Cameron Second is the best place on campus for a quiet, peaceful, two hour study session of Finance. 4. What’s your favourite movie quote? “No, the journey doesn’t end here. Death is just another path... One that we all must take. The grey rain-curtain of this world rolls back, and all turns to silver glass... And then you see it. White shores... and beyond, a far green country under a swift sunrise.” Gandalf, The Return of the King 5. Why did you join Lazy Faire? Living by the idea that a rising tide would lift all boats, I joined Lazy Faire in an effort to promote a homogeneous student body within the Alberta School of Business. It is my earnest belief that by improving the social environment of ASoB, by giving the many unique individuals an opportunity to learn about one another, we can all move one step closer to a better, more connected world. So let the voices of the unheard can be heard and let no one be left behind.

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Commercialization of Christmas The Christmas season most of us love is coming back for another year (I haven’t started my shopping yet either). I say “most” because some people, including myself sometimes, dislike going from store-to-store in the busy crowds trying to find gifts for friends and family. That’s not to say that I don’t like purchasing gifts for others. I love giving gifts and it makes me incredibly happy knowing that someone may find use in something they never thought they needed. However, the downside of gift giving is that people often receive gifts that they will never really use. It’s the time of year when businesses, from practically every industry, try to woo you into purchasing their products. You might not even need them, in fact, you may not even want them. Yet, sometimes you’ll get pressured into buying their merchandise and you go home with another thing to stick in the do-not-use closet. In 2017, Christmas spending (i.e. the amount cording to Stats Canada, is nearly $7.4 billion groupings, such as “toys, games and hobby $417.8 million dollars. Another grouping is reaching a whopping $459.9 million. Of unless used comparatively. Each of these respectively from the average monthly not all groups had as much of a signifto climb as consumers look to spend on others as the deals roll in.

of spending that occurred in December), acdollars. This number breaks down into various supplies, including electronic games”, reaching “televisions and audio and video equipment”, course, these numbers don’t mean as much groups alone were up 203.7% and 121.3% sales of the same grouping in 2016. While icant jump, it is a trend that continues more money, either on themselves or

A separate analysis forecast for 2018 holiday spending done by PWC, that surveyed over 1,000 Canadian consumers, showed that more than 8 out of 10 expect to spend the same or more this holiday season, with only 13% saying they’ll spend less. This data is fairly consistent with the trends in increased spending Stats Canada is showing above, with millennial parents being among the top spenders. PWC also noted that men are spending up to 7% more ($1,752 average) compared to women ($1,385 average). What’s also interesting is that more and more people are choosing to shop off their computers or phones. Whether that’s picking up in store or having it home-delivered, 43% of people surveyed are choosing to avoid the storming crowds. Despite free shipping becoming more commonplace in our society, 51% of people still choose to do in-store pickup to avoid those delivery charges. It will be interesting to see if the trends do continue to climb as indicated by the statistics in previous years. With promotions expected to continue going on every year and discounts either getting bigger or remaining relatively similar, it’s likely we’ll continue to see a strong uptick in sales across various categories, if not all of them. Even more so, we’ll see companies pushing promotions onto consumers now more than ever. It’s up to the consumer to stay vigilant as the commercialization of Christmas continues to be a strong and growing aspect of our lives year after year.

Written by Tyler Keffer

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Fashion

With glistening hangers and enticing mood music, it’s difficult to imagine the overall impact of the clothes we see at the mall. Picking up a nice shirt and heading to the checkout is easy to do without a second thought. Unfortunately, navigating the world of fast fashion with ethics and sustainability in mind makes things a little bit more difficult. Regardless of our intentions, everything we buy has a repercussion so, if possible, why not make it a good one? The fashion & textile industry creates immense waste and pollution each year. The summation of left-over fabric, pollution from dyes and chemicals and the millions of gallons of water used annually for the washing and dyeing processes, has lead textiles to be one of the top waste generators. One brand that is determined to offset these environmental repercussions is The Reformation. Other brands looking to reduce their carbon footprint The Reformation is a woman’s clothing brand that fo- include fast fashion giant H&M and the outdoors wear cuses itself on sustainability and cutting down waste. brand Patagonia. Currently, 43% of H&M’s cotton is While visiting their website, customers are able to sustainably sourced and their goal is to reach 100% by sign up for their quarterly sustainability newsletter, the year 2020. The store also donates .02 euros to a lowhich provides details on how the business is ac- cal charity for every kg of textiles that they collect and tively pursuing their goal of being 100% sustainable. has a recycling initiative where customers can drop-off Their clothes range from casual tees to evening dress- their unwanted clothing at H&M stores to be donated. es, with all pieces exuding a cool city-girl persona. Patagonia consistently donates 1% of sales or 10% of pre-tax profits (whichever is greater) to environmental groups and on boxing day in 2016 they donated 100% of their profits to grassroots environmental organizations.

BRANDS THAT GIVE BACK

In addition, to brands passionate about helping the environment, there are also brands similarly enthusiastic about helping people. For example, online glasses retailer, Warby Parker, is dedicated to making glasses accessible in third world countries. With their: Buy a Pair, Give a Pair program, every pair of glasses bought equals one donation to a person in need who wouldn’t be able to access glasses otherwise. In addition to providing free glasses through this program, they also train overseas men and women to administer eye-exams and allow them to offer customers extremely low prices. Casual shoe brand Toms has a similar model with their 1-for-1 program that donates a pair of shoes to a child in need every time a pair is purchased.

Also determined to help people are the online stores: Society B and Veerah. With their slogan being “A Market for Good”, Society B is committed to making people’s lives better through fair trade. Everything in their website is sourced ethically and gives workers a stable income. Their products range from clothing, to housewares, to beauty and everything is a guilt-free buy. They also donate 10% of every purchase to a charity the customer picks at checkout. Veerah is a vegan shoe brand that aims to empower women. To reach this, they created their 1-10-100 battle plan. This outlines that 1% of proceeds are donated to social impact causes, each employee gets 10 paid hours a month to volunteer or take self-improvement courses, and for every 100 conducted customer interviews they sponsor a 1-year scholarship through She’s the First. We may not realize it, but our purchases have power and it’s awesome to be given the choice to give-back through them.

Written by Cleo Williams

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FYI

Spread the Christmas Cheer Feeling like you want to volunteer your time and give back to your local and campus community this holiday season? Well, look no further! Here are a few volunteer opportunities you can get involved with on and off campus in these upcoming months: 630 CHED Santas Anonymous Each year, volunteers give over 12,000 collective volunteer hours sorting donations, preparing gifts for various age groups, bagging toys for specific families, and so much more. There are also 1,200 volunteer drivers and helpers who deliver gift packages. There are a wide variety of volunteer opportunities, levels of responsibility, and commitment levels to suit each volunteer’s needs. This is a great event for families to volunteer together for, and can serve as a rewarding and eye-opening experience for children and adults alike. Visit: https://www.santasanonymous.ca/volunteer to register.

Share the Cheer Date: Dec. 22, 2018 - January 2, 2019

Ronald McDonald House Charities Our mission is to improve the lives of families with seriously ill or injured children receiving treatment in Edmonton. Ronald McDonald House Charities® Northern Alberta (RMHCNA) is the place where families find strength, and our community discovers the best in themselves every day through their support of RMHCNA. Helping Hands: The Helping Hands Program helps us to maintain the House through group volunteerism. Tasks can include light housekeeping, baking, or skills/technical based work. Visit: https://rmhcna.org/helping-hands/ to book online for a time slot.

Student Accessibility Services – Volunteer Exam Greeters Date: December 10 - 21, 2018 8 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. & 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Hope Mission The Hope Mission is a social care agency caring for impoverished and homeless men, women, and children in Alberta. Do you like to work in a social, busy environment? There are shifts available every day in the Hope Mission kitchen! Volunteering in our meal service program means helping to prepare, serve, and clean-up afterwards. We serve breakfast (7 a.m. – 9:30 a.m.), lunch (10 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.), and dinner (4 p.m. – 7 p.m.). Weekend shifts are brunch from 10:00 am – 1:00 pm and dinner at 3:00 pm – 6:00 pm. Visit: https://hopemission.com/get-involved/volunteer-orig/ volunteer-in-edmonton/ to fill out an application form.

The Share the Cheer Program provides UAlberta faculty, staff, and alumni the opportunity to host a minimum of two UAlberta international students for one dinner during the holiday season in December. It is a great opportunity to learn about each other’s cultures, to share in traditions, and to give international students a connection when family and friends are far away. Host Application Deadline: Sunday, December 9, 2018 Visit: https://www.ualberta.ca/alumni/volunteer/opportunities for more information.

Student Accessibility Services (SAS) offers exam accommodations to ensure that students with accessibility needs have a fair opportunity to demonstrate their knowledge of the material tested by an exam. These accommodations include additional time, scribes, computers, special lighting, ergonomic seating, and many more. Last year, volunteers helped SAS provide support for approximately 1,300 students who wrote 3,400 final exams! Visit: https://www.ualberta.ca/alumni/volunteer/opportunities for more information.

Written by Katie Fitzgerald

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Thought vs. Thought

Thought vs. Thought Giving Aid to 3rd World Countries and Does It Really Help Them?

YAY

Many of us reading this article likely were fortunate enough to have been born in a country with a high standard of living, where we can wake up without the fear of war, not have to worry about the aftermath of severe natural disasters, and the list goes on. We are lucky to live in a place where these horrible events happen so little, or not at all. In addition, we have the resources to help our citizens through these natural disasters, usually quickly and effectively. The same cannot always be said for 3rd world countries, who struggle every day to live through various disasters in their war torn countries. So why is foreign aid just so, so important? It’s very clear to see that the richer, more well-off countries have little or no issues dealing with disasters relative to the poorer, less well-off countries. This is precisely why we must provide foreign aid to these countries, so that they too can effectively handle these issues as they arise. It is very difficult to try and get anything done without the necessary resources and it is completely inhumane to sit here and watch them struggle. Nobody could, nor should one even try, to justify letting 3rd world countries fend for themselves. Being born where we were born was based on pure chance, but that shouldn’t give someone who just happened to be born in a well-off country, anymore of a right to living safely than someone who was not.

Written by Tyler Keffer

I’m not saying 1st world countries are always perfect. We too have our own issues, however, generally speaking it is not comparable to having to deal with a significant crisis on little or no financial backing. Although I personally have never had the opportunity to travel to other countries outside of North America, when significant disasters happen, such as the earthquake of Haiti in 2010 that affected hundreds of thousands of people, we hear about it far and wide. It is very important to provide foreign aid in the form of financial backing, volunteer support, supplies, food, water and all other things necessary to get them back on their feet so that they can take care of themselves again. Canada, last year in 2017, gave $5.6 billion dollars in international assistance spending, up from $5.4 billion in 2016. While this may sound like a significant sum of money, this only represents 0.26% of our entire GDP. That is just over a quarter of a single percent given to foreign aid. Personally, I find it absolutely incredible that such little amounts to us can have significant impacts overseas to areas that really need it most. These reasons among many more, including morals, is why financial aid is and will continue to be an important part of our country and our future going forward.

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Thought vs. Thought

Thought vs. Thought Giving Aid to 3rd World Countries and Does It Really Help Them?

NAY

Tis’ the season of giving and sharing! Donations and aid reach new heights during this time of year. After all, who doesn’t love receiving a generous present or two? Third world countries, that’s who! If the present comes in a neat and intentionally curated package of debt, increased despotism, and corruption…third world countries are better off without it. Foreign development aid has been viewed as the epitome of humanitarianism for decades; however, economists across the globe are beginning to see through the farce. Foreign aid is typically aimed at improving conditions in impoverished (recipient) countries. Donor countries in the west spend millions of dollars on aid, yet the aid comes with a price of its own for developing countries. Aid doesn’t always end up benefiting those that need it most – the poorest of the poor in the country. In fact, aid often lands in the hands of governments that use it to further their own agendas, often resulting in autocratic regimes. Aid amounts are also usually dwarfed by rich country protectionism that denies market access to products from developing countries. On the other hand, rich countries use aid as a lever to sell their products in the developing countries’ markets. The main idea behind giving foreign aid is to foster growth in developing countries, however, by doing so…rich countries may actually be instrumental in slowing down growth. Why and how does more aid result in less growth? The decelerated growth can be attributed to a corrupt and autocratic government. Written by Rachita Chugh

However, the seeds of corruption may be sown in part due to foreign aid. Each country requires its citizens to pay taxes. In order to run the country, a government needs to collect taxes. Since the people indirectly hold the funds, they have a certain amount of control over their government. Giving aid to countries actually weakens this very relationship. How so? If the government is continually given aid, it doesn’t rely on taxes as much, thus becoming less accountable to its people. Ultimately, this lack of accountability transcends into a corrupt, autocratic regime. Another argument against aid is that countries often give out aid for their own political and economic gain. Countries like the United States have often come under fire for giving out aid to support its strategic allies and further its own commercial interests or political beliefs. The interests of the local population are often the last on its list of priorities. US foreign aid is given under the pretense that the recipient country adheres to its “universal” values of human rights and democracy, opens its markets to US goods and services, and gives the US the right to establish military bases. These conditions seem to tip the scale in favor of the donor country – which defeats the purpose of foreign aid. Foreign aid, albeit well-meaning, can be seriously detrimental to the growth of developing countries. In order for foreign aid to be effective, the emphasis needs to shift from aid to enterprise and poverty alleviation to wealth creation.

“A huge goal in my life is to leave a legacy”

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Student Spotlight

You have done things like VP Charity for JDC West and have volunteered for 5D4H. What attracted you to take on those positions? I think it was me wanting to give back and hopefully have an impact in other people’s lives. With 5 Days for the Homeless, it was focusing on helping people in the community of Edmonton overall and supporting YESS (Youth Empowerment and Support Services). It was about supporting people who can’t even get the support they need, which is tough. For VP Charity for JDC West, it’s really cool in the sense that you’re not just doing charity, but you’re helping other people reach their charity goals, and helping with setting other people up for success. How has your experience been volunteering for the Edmonton Food Bank? I’ve really enjoyed the Edmonton Food Bank overall. It’s a really good way to visualize giving back through a hands-on approach. You’re actually integrating yourself within a community, with a whole different side of things that people don’t usually see: such as weighing out flour or separating eggs. I love volunteering on the Saturdays, because you can actually work in what they call the “hamper.” It’s where you can actually meet the clients that they help, and you’re the one giving the food to the people that need it. Can you expand on the “things that I wouldn’t usually see?” How they separate food is different. When they get donations, sometimes it comes in larger packs. If you think about daily essentials, such as flour, eggs, and milk, they actually separate that into smaller portions. On top of separating food, there’s things like weighing out flour so everyone has an equal portion or even separating eggs. It’s something that you wouldn’t expect to do overall.

Josh Puszka

Josh Puszka is a third-year business student majoring in Operations Management. He is a familiar face at the Alberta School of Business, and is known for being one of the friendliest and most approachable people in the business community. Note: what struck me while conducting the interview was that Josh didn’t know what the theme of this month’s issue was, until the end, but most of his answers always came back to it. He is the perfect fit to be the face of Lazy Faire Magazine’s December issue of the “Gift of Giving.”

Written by Rodvie Barnachea

Student Spotlight

What has been your most satisfying position you have done so far? I would definitely say VP Charity for JDC West. It’s integrating two of my passions which is giving back and case competitions. You can’t find a better position for those two things. What excites you? I always want to do better in everything that I do. That’s the idea of “kaizen,” which is the Japanese word for continuous improvement. I definitely try to live my life that way where you’re always moving forward, and always pushing yourself to be better. That can be in so many different ways where pushing yourself might be actually helping others. What’s your goal in life? A huge goal in my life is to leave a legacy in the things that I touch and the things that I do. That means making sure that I have a high involvement and high passion in everything that I do. But that’s tough in the sense that everyone’s goals always shift, and it’s so hard to pick one thing that is going to be that one end goal. Right now, I want to go into Management Consulting and also pursue my Master of Science in Data Analytics. In the School of Business or in general, what do you want to be the first thing that comes to mind for others when they think about you? Happiness. I’ve heard from other people that have told me that I’m really good at helping others. That’s what I want people to think of ¾ that I’m that go-to person to help people if they need it or need someone to talk to. So our theme for this month is the gift of giving. How has that been incorporated in your life? Oh! I think that’s such a good theme. I think that goes back to the “theme of the month,” but I think that should be the theme every month. You should always be giving back no matter what. I think that’s something that people can always try to work on. It’s a good focus for the holiday season. However, people need to also carry that forward, and know that volunteering at the Food Bank isn’t just a one month thing. It’s a year-round type of thing and hopefully people see from this issue is that the gift of giving should always be continuous.

Photograph by Erica Hu

Madi Corry

Programs Director Can you tell us about yourself and your position with the Food Bank?

My name is Madi Corry, and I have been a member of the (campus) Food Bank team since 2012. I volunteered for four years and then I became a staff member in 2016. As an employee, I served as a staff coordinator for two years and now I am the Programs Manager.

Why did you decide to join the Food Bank?

In my first year of University, I filled out an application during the clubs fair. I thought that the Food Bank was something I could do as a volunteer opportunity and it sounded like a great community to join. I was fortunate a job opened up when I was graduating and I have stayed ever since. It is a great community and the volunteers are wonderful to work with. Additionally, the cause we support, specifically food security is important to me.

What message would you give to students thinking about volunteering at the food bank?

I would say we are always looking for people who would like to support food security on campus. Volunteering could be signing up to be an office volunteer. Volunteering can also Written by Rachita Chugh

Written by Wyatt Lynds Designed by Melania Antoszko Designed by Joanna Faddoul Photo Provided

Photograph by Dylan Wee

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include hosting a food drive with your classmates, your faculty, or with your family. We recruit volunteers at the beginning of each semester. We have had an uptake of clients recently, definitely in the past six months, so the more that students want to support us in a variety of ways in order to get more food to our clients is always great.

What does an average day at the Food Bank consist of? That’s a tricky one. We have donations come in sporadically, other times we are aware of them. Our volunteers process those donations. Our structure is set up so the morning shift is ten until noon, which mainly consists of hamper making. Clients registered for a hamper that day will have their items ready for pick up. The afternoons are open hours (noon until six), when clients can ask questions, pick up their hampers, or sign up for the Food Bank. We usually take it day by day and if we have any events planned we would work it around the office schedule.

What is the most rewarding part of working for the food bank?

In terms of working with volunteers, I would say the most rewarding part is hearing why these individuals want to come to the food bank and dedicate their time. Students are busy and the fact that they want to spend time helping out is always rewarding. In terms of helping clients, the most rewarding part is getting to hear their stories of what brought them to the food bank and how the food bank is helping them even if it is just reducing their grocery bill by a small margin. Majority of our clients are students, many of them with families and busy schedules, thus being able to help them even a little is rewarding.

External Relations

What have you learned from your time with the Food Bank?

I have learned to take any experience, such as interacting with other non-profits or other volunteer coordinators and see how we can apply that to what we are doing at the Food Bank. I no longer take a trip without visiting another food bank because I like to see what other food banks operate. The campus food bank is unique, which I always kind of gathered, but being a service provider on campus I now see we are our own community, almost a city. I have definitely learned to use any resources or opportunities available and apply those to the campus’ unique situation.

How would an interested student become a volunteer?

Regular volunteer opportunities require an application and two interviews. One of the interviews would be a group interview and the other would be a one on one interview with a senior volunteer. Those happen at the beginning of semesters, but our applications are open about a half a month before the semester begins. For example, applications are open from mid-December to early January. We also have volunteer events, like our ‘Trick-or-TrEAT’ which is a one-time opportunity and one of the major food drives.

What do you enjoy doing outside of the office?

I volunteer at the Edmonton Mennonite Centre for Newcomers. I participate in barre classes for exercise. When I’m not working or volunteering I like to go to the farmers market, spend time with my cat, and just look for little pockets of fun and self-care.

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™

Clubs Corner

CLUBS CORNER ROTARACT CLUB

As one of the largest youth organizations in the world, the tremendous impact of Rotary is an impressive feat, boasting 1.2 million members worldwide. The University of Alberta Rotaract Club has made a big difference, supporting various charities both local and global. Their mission? To tackle challenges and to cultivate change for the better of communities. Their motto? “Service above self.”

This year, Rotaract’s committees are split into several causes, ranging from End Polio, an internationally-recognized campaign to fight polio, to partnering with Days for Girls. Ongoing local volunteering events include helping out at the Food Bank and Ronald McDonald House, as well as monthly opportunities with Hope Mission. The efforts of Rotaract also hit close to home — the University of Alberta’s annual Consent Carnival hosted every September is also run by Rotaract, and serves to raise awareness about sexual assault and practicing safe sex. Creative approaches to raising awareness and funding have included bake sales, Open Mic Night and photobooths. From philanthropy to education, Rotaract’s mission to empower leaders can be found relevant to youth all across campus.

With a diverse range of causes to support, their team is no different: made up of members from faculties across the UofA campus, there seems to be no shortage of youth who are active in giving back to the community. The strength of having such a range of backgrounds is the amount of perspectives and knowledge that go into the planning and execution of Rotaract events. Members gather together to organize and strategize ways to support a cause of their choice, and non-members are able to continually support Rotaract by donating and participating in fundraising events. Skills such as managing external relations, organization, public speaking, and being adaptative are all developed in the execution of events. The professional experiences to be gained from Rotaract aren’t lacking, either: with a mentorship program, and mixer events to look forward to during the year to boot, the networking possibilities are endless. Students have a chance to connect with professionals who work in a field of their interest to seek insight and guidance.

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The university’s Rotaract Club is a branch of Rotary International, whose organizations can be found throughout various campuses globally. In turn, this means plenty of opportunities for UofA Rotaractors to go on Rotary conferences and meet fellow peers from all around Canada, and even from other continents. Previous destination opportunities have more recently included Nicaragua, Belize, and Montreal. Rotary’s international reach is made possible through their affiliations with the United Nations, with Rotary Day, and top ratings from Charity Navigator, an evaluator of charities in the U.S. Rotary International is not limited to post-secondary students: students as young as 12 are able to get involved early by joining the junior division of Rotary International, “Interact”.

Clubs Corner

Over 150 countries have Interact organizations, demonstrating just how willing the next generation of leaders are to get involved with the worldwide community. Several Interact groups exist in Edmonton, including the Old Scona Interact Club. Of course, the Rotaract team of UofA is as strong as it is because of their bond. Think its interdisciplinary numbers stop them from being as tight-knit as can be? Think again. The members find commonality in their giving qualities, allowing the team to work more closely together. With a family-like dynamic amongst their members, Rotaract encourages students to have fun being involved, even delegating a role for its social activities. Members are more than welcome to participate in retreats and other bonding functions outside of club duties. Activities such as their annual summer camping retreat, board game nights, and house gatherings are a special treat to celebrate the bond between Rotaractors.

Interested in joining? Email them at rotaract@ualberta.ca, or come by to one of the weekly Rotaract meetings, held every Wednesday at 5pm in ECHA 2-150, to see what they’re all about. Other post-secondary Rotaract organizations can also be accessed on other campuses in Edmonton, including the NAIT and MacEwan chapters, and in other Edmonton areas such as Whyte. Written by Denise Nguyen | Designed by Shannon Wong | Photographs Provided

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Guest Article

Season’s Greetings from

UASU Farmers’ Market The trend of shopping local doesn’t stop with Christmas. Kasia Arcand, this year’s Farmers’ Market Coordinator for the University of Alberta Students’ Union, works around the clock with her volunteer team to provide a rockin’ market every Thursday from 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM in SUB. An initiative under Sustain SU, the SU’s sustainability branch, the Farmers’ Market brings together diverse Edmontonian vendors selling products from ethnic baked goods to handmade bags to locally brewed beers, and promotes the benefits of supporting local through activities and giveaways. I had a chance to chat with Kasia about the all the love and effort put in behind the scenes.

In your opinion, how does the UASU Farmers’ Market contribute to environmental, social, and/or economic sustainability? Our vendors are committed to providing locals with crafts and goods that are made with love and care. They are focused on ethnic practices and quality, all while becoming in line with the model of sustainability. By selling at Markets, local vendors minimize the waste and pollution that corporate chains cannot compete with. Farmers’ Markets are also beneficial economically and environmentally. By supporting local, the money will be put back into our economy, rather than internationally. In return, you get your handmade or organic goods that you could not have gotten in corporate stores. What has your greatest success been with the UASU Farmers’ Market so far? I feel that everything has been very successful recently. However, we have started a new event that will take place monthly. Our Grand Prize Event is where we buy goods from 3 – 4 vendors at random, and create a ‘gift basket’, which is actually packed in one of our compact reusable bags.

What does a normal work day at the UASU Farmers’ Market look like to you? A lot of the work is done behind the scenes. Planning and coordinating all the

Every time someone purchases a good from a vendor they’re handed a ballot to enter into our draw! Our first test run was last month and it was a tremendous hit, and also brought business to our vendors!.

vendors, sending maps out, preparing for our weekly activities, ensuring all vendors have proper documents, and so on. On the market day, I try to focus on making sure the vendors are all ready to go by 10:00 AM. I also like to walk around and connect with the vendors so that I can gain a relationship with them, because connecting with our community is incredibly valuable. We also set up a Sustain SU booth where the Sustainability Ambassadors (SAs) and I can be found throughout the Farmers’ Market. Every week we have an activity run by the SAs where people can win prizes! We also have an Instagram account (@UAFM_yeg) that is run by Shayna, our head of the Farmers’ Market Leadership Team (LT), Jessie, who is one of our SAs, and myself. Throughout the Farmers Market, pictures are taken of products and events, and are posted on our account to show people what to expect at our market.

What is your favourite aspect of the UASU Farmers’ Market? Our Farmers’ Market brings local vendors together to sell handmade crafts and goods for our campus community. It is very convenient for everyone on campus and is an easy way to support local, as well as be sustainable. Being able to work for something I strongly believe in is always a plus! Anything to look forward to from the UASU Farmers’ Market this Christmas season? We are super excited for the holiday season and are excited to be bringing new vendors to widen the variety in the New Year. Unfortunately, the last day to purchase your goods will be December 6th, but if you check out our Instagram page, we will be posting gift bundle ideas for everyone to give suggestions for the season of giving.

Written by Diane Jeon

Photograph by Alex Ho

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LF Reviews

LF REVIEWS

15 Secret Santa Gifts Under $20

It’s no secret that students struggle to not break the bank with Christmas gift exchanges. Secret Santa exchanges are no exception, and are arguably more difficult, because they’re usually for people who you have just enough personal connection with that you don’t want to half-ass it, but not enough for you to gift something extravagant or extremely personalized. But stress no more, Secret Santas: your gifts can still show that you’ve put in just enough thought and dollars towards that that coworker-you-never-really-talked-to or that distant-cousin-twice-removed with the help of this list of 15 gifts for $20 or less.

15. Cabin Socks ($15.00 – $18.50) For chestnuts-roasting-by-the-open-fire moods. Also for Alberta winters. Support Canadian brands and find some at Roots!

8. Edmonton Valley Zoo Gift Card ($20.00) Same as #9! You can purchase a gift card from the zoo for the zoo. For the human wanting to see the zoo.

14. 8 Nights of Tea by David’s Tea ($20.00) Not sponsored by David’s Tea. But they have pretty packaging. 13. Waffle Maker ($17.00+) You think I’m joking. But if Walmart’s selling a Betty Crocker Belgian Waffle Maker for $17.77, you bet your bottom that your gift receiver will be the life of the next office party or student group meeting. 12. Chocolate Survival Kit by Purdy’s ($16.00) You could easily DIY this one, or buy the premade creation at Purdy’s for $16.00. 11. First Aid Beauty Kit by Clean Canyon ($10.00+) For those who wear makeup in a city where winter air hurts the face, Sephora is selling this skincare gift kit comprised of a cleanser and cream for $10. This gift could also be easily DIY-ed. 10. Charity Pot Lotion by Lush ($7.95) With each purchase of this 50g pot of body lotion, Lush sends 100% of its sales (minus taxes) to grassroots organizations working towards environmental conservation, animal welfare, and human rights. Buy a couple, save the world!

7. Recreational Centre Gift Card ($20.00) In the same vein as the previous two, for $10, you can gift one drop-in yoga or Zumba session (and two sessions for $20) at a City recreation centre. 6. The Subtle Art of Not Giving A F*ck by Mark Manson ($13.77) Indigo’s having an online sale! This influential, sassy book would be great for the ones who care a little too much. 5. The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo ($17.00 – $18.00) At Amazon or Indigo. This subtle lifestyle book would be great for the ones who care a little too little. 4. The War of Art by Steven Pressfield ($16.59) For the creative ones battling against their inner naysayers. A fun gift for your VP Marketing and Design or other loved ones who are on the verge of a creative breakthrough. 3. Daring Greatly by Brené Brown ($17.10) A universal pleaser, this final book of the list is written by a PhD researcher and thought leader on vulnerability. There’s something poetic about gifting the gift of growth.

2. Eco-Friendly Utensil Set ($17.00+) Bamboo cutlery and reusable straws are on sale on Etsy and Amazon, and climate change is still real. 1. Baked Goods ($0.00+) This baking project wins because you could likely 9. Muttart Conservatory Gift Card ($12.50) Get a gift card of any denomination for participating Edmon- create this gift using the ingredients you already have ton attractions and rec centres. Adult admission for the Muttart at home, and there’s endless options for creativity and (mew-tart? muh-tert?) is $12.50. You could spend a little extra to calories. Life is sweet. give a date night option for your Secret Santa. Written by Diane Jeon

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BSA Wellness Initiative

Written by Kimberly Chan Designed by Joanna Faddoul

BSA WELLNESS INITIATIVE

Emilie Richards and Samantha Grover During the summer, two Alberta School of Business undergraduate students were able to explore the role of research in addressing grand challenges using an evidence-based approach. Emilie Richards and Samantha Grover were enrolled in a special topics Strategic Management and Organizations class. There, they conducted an intriguing investigation into the gender pay gap. Unfortunately, as the research was not an ethics approved research study and, as such, there was no ethics approval, the data cannot be shared publicly. Regardless, I caught up with the girls to inquire about the useful information that came out of the class that may pave the way forward for future graduates.

Business Career Services website. Women and men are graduating at the same times, and even one year out of the BCom program, their playing fields are not level with each other. This causes huge implications for the rest of your career! One thing we did notice is that women who have a male sponsor who advocates for her has a huge impact for her career. So sponsorship and mentorship can impact women’s careers immensely.

Kim: This is a really great chance to research a relevant topic. Can you tell us more about the class you took and the research opportunities that stemmed from it? Emilie & Sam: The class was a research based class and taught us a lot about research. It taught us how to see all sides of interviews, how to do interviews, as well as taking existing literature and using it as a guide for your own research. From there, it helped us use that data effectively and be critical about it. The research opportunity also allowed us to start seeing flaws in questions and looking at how to actually go about doing the research. Our course was split into modules, and we analyzed and did a systematic review of all the literature on the topic of gender wage pay gap. Essentially, the class taught us how to use research to approach special topics.

Kim: How do you think the Alberta School of Business can help mitigate these issues? Emilie & Sam: From the research, we know that there is a huge self selection bias when it comes to women. They just aren’t seeing themselves in the higher paying roles or majors. From our own experience, when you get to the final rounds in finance positions, there aren’t any women. It’s not because companies don’t have these roles or opportunities for women — it’s because less and less women are choosing to go into these industries where there is a huge opportunity for them. The research also shows that women aren’t doing as much negotiation. There are many ways the school can help mitigate an issue like this, starting with broader education. By promoting a negotiations class, women can learn how to negotiate within the industry they choose to work in. There are a variety of ways women can make themselves more attractive to employers. Joining the co-op program, knowing their worth, and just knowing what their major can realistically expect going out of the program is so important.

Kim: What was your key takeaway from this class and the research you did? Emilie & Sam: There needs to be corporate social responsibility. Many companies have a lack of diversity awareness, and don’t realize how having diverse points of views can really benefit them. There is a gender wage pay gap, and you will be able to see it on the

Kim: Thank you so much! Are there any last comments you wanted to make on the subject? Emilie & Sam: The gender wage pay gap is real, and it’s an important topic. But it doesn’t have to be global warming, in that everyone knows about it, but is not doing a lot to mitigate it. It’s not too late to make a change with gender issues.

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TA G Y O U R S E L F M E M E S A N TA’ S R E I N D E E R “But do you recall the most famous reindeer of all?” While Rudolf — the one chosen specifically by Santa to guide his sleigh — is usually the first reindeer to come to mind, all of Santa’s eight other sleigh-pulling reindeer deserve their fair share of attention too.

Ever wonder which reindeer you’re most like? Well, look no further! This Christmas, we’ve compiled a brief summary of each of the reindeers’ unique personalities below, all wrapped up in the form of a wholesome tag yourself meme.

Dasher - Nyoom - Too many things to do; not enough time - Fuelled by 2 hours of sleep and the power of caffeine alone

Vixen

Dancer

Prancer

- Life of the party - Exudes popularity - Everyone wants to be your friend

- 7-page long coffee order - Takes the best Instagram pictures - Stubbornly committed to goals

- Air of mystery - Will flirt with everyone and everything - Likes magic tricks

Comet

Cupid

Donner

Blitzen

Rudolph

- Checks horoscopes daily - Secretly a genius at puzzle games - Will remind the professor about the paper that was due

- Hopeless romantic - Has watched every single rom com - Likes fireplace cuddles and hot chocolate

- The jock - Will endlessly brag about their gains - Best wingman

- Checks emails 71493 times an hour - Networking skills over 9000 - President of 13 different clubs

- Bullied by classmates - Teacher’s pet - Just wants genuine friendship

Written by Valerie Leow

Chat

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Lazy Chat

Laura Kruse, Outreach Coordinator

Lazy

APIRG (Alberta Public Interest Research Group)

Laura Kruse is the Outreach Coordinator for the Alberta Public Interest Research Group (or APIRG for short). If you have walked through HUB Mall from end to end, then you have walked past the APIRG office. The office is situated across from Galatea Galleries, and is adjacent to the Athabasca University office. Despite having walked past APIRG everyday, most students have little knowledge of all the great work they do. This month, Lazy Faire had the opportunity to sit down with Laura to learn more about the organization and her role as the Outreach Coordinator. 1. Can you tell me a bit about APIRG and your role? APIRG is a student-run, student-funded nonprofit located at the University of Alberta. Our mandate is to support community-based research, education, and advocacy in the public interest. We define public interest as dealing with systems of oppression like racism, sexism, homophobia, transphobia, classism, etc. that exist in our society. We support this kind of work through our granting program; students and community groups can apply for grants of up to $2,000 for their own projects that delve deeply into one of those issues. We also host a wide variety of events, awareness-raising campaigns, and workshops. We do free training in anti-oppression and consensus-based decision making in a variety of things. Lastly, we host a wide variety of working groups who are specialists in the community and deal with specific topics concerning anti-oppression. I am the Outreach Coordinator, and one of my biggest roles is overseeing the event projects granting line. I also connect the community with our services, liaise with the media, and inform others about what we do. 2. What are some of the current ongoing projects and working groups under APIRG? A big, recent project that we just completed was A Week of Liberation (or AWOL). In our first year of doing it, we did about 18 smaller events. This year, we wanted to do less events, but bigger. One of the events was a dance party at The Aviary that featured black and Indigenous performers. We also hosted a comedy show that featured underrepresented voices. Currently, APIRG has 14 active working groups. One of them is focused on the unique barriers faced by LGBTQ2S+ refugees, as they are especially vulnerable to isolation in our community.

Written by Rachita Chugh

Another working group (that I always like to highlight) is a group called Migrante Alberta. Migrante is an international organization; they serve the needs of Filipino migrant workers, especially those working in the Temporary Foreign Worker Program. Migrante helps these workers advocate for their legal rights with their employer, and helps them to feel more secure. 3. How can students get involved with APIRG? We have tons of volunteer opportunities for students! You can be on our ‘street team’ and poster for us, and we always need event volunteers. If you want to be involved in running APIRG, we have open elections for our Board for undergraduate students who have not opted out of our fee. Our Board makes funding decisions, capital purchase decisions, and they direct the staff. Also, students can apply for working group status if they have a project idea that fits within our mandate. 4. How did you get involved with APIRG? While I was doing my Masters degree, I only had a vague idea of what anti-oppression and social justice was. I eventually got involved with a group where I met people who were active in the community, and were involved in social activism. I was given the opportunity to serve on the Board of APIRG. I served on the Board for a year, and then the Outreach Coordinator position opened up. I applied for it, and I’m on my third year on staff now! 5. What do you think students can gain from accessing APIRG’s services? APIRG provides a sense of connection on this campus. There are many people working together in very different ways that can complement each other to make the world a better place. APIRG’s a place where you can build hope and community. Through APIRG, you can meet others that share your optimism to come up with solutions to societal issues.

Photograph by Austin Yee

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